The Day Hermes Stopped Talking
by The JohhnyMcKilt Productions
Summary: Oneshot.Kino was mortified at the sudden loss of her partner and was just about to mourn when something they both weren't counting on happened.


A/N: I guess I really DID make this fanfic wait till had a Kino no Tabi category…finally here it is! …my overdue KnT fic…enjoy!xD

…in this fic, Herms doesn't run on gas…

**The Day Hermes Stopped Talking**

_**Oneshot**_

"How far do you think the next country is?" Kino asked her partner good-naturedly as they rested for the night in a snow covered land.

Hermes mock-contemplated average distances they previously covered in their travels between countries and the fact that the current winter climate made journeying difficult.

"Man," he began with a groan. "It may take us more than two days to get there…ack!"

The brunette laughed. "Looks like hard work for you, eh Hermes?" She looked at the bike and sighed when it gave no response. "You won't be able to worm your way out of this one by suddenly not talking…"

But Hermes remained silent and Kino wrapped up the remains of a meager meal.

"You'll sleep over it," she added. "The snow isn't that bad and I'll promise we'll stop if anything poses too dangerous, 'kay?"

With that, the young traveler turned in, calling it a day.

The next morning was introduced by the gas pedal being stepped on and the sound of a revving engine.

"Are you mad at me?" Kino asked her best friend incredulously snow spewed behind them in their wake. "Aw, c'mon Herms…don't take it so hard."

She tried her best to swallow a wave of uneasiness that suddenly threatened to engulf her. But within a few miles, the feeling became unbearable, as was the silence.

The brunette stopped the motor and hopped off it. Getting down on her knees on the snow, she brought her face close to the big headlight.

"Hermes?"

No response.

She stood up and shook the bike as one would do to a person. "Hermes?" she called again and got nothing.

Kino walked round her friend and sharply rapped on his engine. "Oi Hermes! Y'know if this is your idea of a joke, you won't be able to keep it up for long." She put her hands on her hips and kicked him.

Nothing.

Now slightly panicking and concerned, the girl went up close to her bike and studied him.

"Either something's wrong with you or you're still bitter about me making you travel in the winter and I really have to check which is which," she said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Kino stepped back a few paces and with expert speed, drew her Persuader and aimed it at the vehicle.

…to no avail.

The brunette slowly and unwillingly cocked her gun, but this did not even induce so much as a flinch.

The young traveler then realized the severity of the situation, dropped her weapon and ran to her friend's side.

"Hermes?" she shook the bike again and looked at him with growing apprehension before mounting him. "Hang in there…the next country isn't far off. I'll get help as soon as possible."

But Kino spoke too soon. It was high noon when Hermes' engine gave a tell-tale sputter-pop before completely dying.

The brunette swore richly. "Impossible!" she exclaimed. "You can never run out of what you don't have!"

Deafening silence greeted her. All 360 degrees were only trees, trees, trees and snow. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere…

Kino took the opportunity to examine every inch of her friend. She screwed in loose bolts, oiled creaky joints, pumped in air in the wheels, waxed the leather seat, scrubbed the body shiny, took snow out of nooks and crannies and fixed everything that could be fixed. Hermes ended up looking better in weeks…but he still wasn't talking.

"You're cold," she said finally, when all her work was done and snuggled up close to him. "I'm sorry…" was added quietly before sleep and exhaustion overwhelmed her.

--

Kino woke up with a jolt. Snow on the ground was violently disturbed as she got to her feet, uncharacteristically paranoid.

Hermes was gone…

The first thing that came to her head was that someone robbed her the preceeding night.

…but all her stuff was still intact. What's more, it was neatly piled to one side.

A twig discreetly snapped behind her and in a flash the Persuader was cocked and aimed.

"Kino-san, don't shoot!" a familiar voice pleaded.

Storm brown eyes narrowed as a sheepish looking teenage boy with dirty-blonde hair and grey eyes emerged from the depths of the forest with his hands in the air.

"Who are you?" asked the brunette sharply, not letting her guard down.

"It's…it's me!" was the puzzling reply.

Kino had no idea who 'me' was but got a vague notion and wasn't buying it just yet.

"When and where was the last pyrocrastic flow you saw?" she asked, knowing that only Hermes had the answer.

The boy frowned and sighed. "Would you really want to remember that incident?"

Kino smiled in relief. "It IS you…" She kept her gun casually and turned back to him. "My Kami-sama, what happened to you?"

Hermes shrugged. "I don't know! But one thing's for sure, you broke my curse!"

The brunette raised and eyebrow. "You had a curse?"

The pair sat down on the snow and the blonde prepared breakfast in a perky manner.

"Back in my country," he explained. "My father was king. When mother was pregnant with me, the king's adviser foretold that his brother would kill me and seize the throne for himself. Mother died giving birth and with the help of a sorcerer, they had me exiled somewhere and turned into a motorrad to ensure that the prophecy wouldn't happen."

Kino still had the disbelieving look. "Did that really happen?"

Hermes laughed. "…no."

The two passed an enjoyable meal. Mostly the conversation comprised of the girl's complaining of what a fright her best friend gave her. The motorrad-turned-human was apologizing repeatedly, though it was not the least bit sincere on account that he could hardly contain his laughter.

"Great…" then brunette declared. "How on earth are we going to travel?"

The boy smiled. "Well, if something doesn't come up, I'm sure we'll find a way…"

"There's nothing to do."

"We can look around, give ourselves a break for a day."

Kino shrugged. "I guess…"

The best friends left their camp undone, confident that nothing essential would be lost and set off to look for good views the winter landscape had to offer so that they could spend the day there.

They ended up settling for a soft spot of wet grass dangerously close to the edge of a cliff overlooking a breathtaking expanse of more snow covered forests. Neither teen was actually talking to the other. They were relishing the silence they shared, each lost in his or her own thoughts.

"Y'know," Kino began. "I've never seen you smile."

Hermes blinked at her in surprise and unwittingly smiled for her. "…well, I've never held your hand," he countered gently.

Unnoticed, she fulfilled the blonde's wish and the latter blushed. The girl snorted at his reaction.

"You're much more of a girl than I am," the brunette teased.

"Oh shut up…"

There was an adorable giggle.

"Is it your first time being human?" Kino asked after the giggles subsided.

Hermes did something between a nod and a shrug. "It feels weird but then…unweird."

"There isn't such a word as unwerid."

"Ah."

"Hn."

"Oddly enough there isn't much to talk about, is there?" the boy observed.

His partner nodded. "Weird but unweird, right?"

"Kino-san!"

The girl laughed and dodged a whack that was aimed at her. The ruckus soon abated as the pair resumed contemplating the vast winter scene.

"It's nice to have some human company once in a while," Kino remarked absently after a moment's silence.

Grey eyes shot her a look. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing offensive…" was the casual reply. "I mean, if I were to turn into a motorrad on an average day, wouldn't you have liked it too?"

Hermes turned his gaze to the ground. "You've got a point." He then looked up and smiled at his best friend. "You're right. It DOES feel nice…I like it this way."

"Well I hope you don't like it TOO much…or else we'd be stuck here forever."

"Give it a day will you? I said if nothing happens, we'll find a way to travel."

"…plus it's one more mouth to feed."

"Kino-san!"

--

They were having breakfast the next hazy morning. Kino was very happy that Hermes becoming human wasn't a dream and that he was STILL human.

"How long will you stay like that?" she asked quietly.

The blonde considered for a moment. "Honestly, I don't—" Suddenly, he froze in mid-speech, staring at something unseen before speedily losing consciousness.

The young brunette cried out in surprise.

"Hermes!"

She took the body in her arms and felt his forehead and neck for a fever. She listened for a pulse and breathing. They were very weak.

"Oh no not again," she muttered in despair. "Hermes please wake up!"

Kino busied herself for the whole morning taking care of her best friend. Without much success, she tried to make him eat. She did every possible thing to make him comfortable, and frankly exhausted herself for the entire day.

"You're cold," she said finally and heaved the boy onto herself in order to impart body heat.

With low spirits, she checked once more for a pulse and breathing. Their thick barrier of clothes made it impossible, and Kino feared the worst.

Dull storm brown eyes mutely took in the features of her friend in her arms. She smoothed dirty-blonde hair from his face and held his cheek close to hers.

"Hermes…"

Tiredness took its toll on her system, and the traveler finally fell asleep.

--

Kino groaned. It was as if sleep made her body feel worse. Then first thing that came to her head was than an elephant made her its bed.

She sat up…or at least tried to…but fell back in the snow as the dead weight of a motorcycle was on her.

"Hehe…" she heard Hermes' sheepish laugh. "Morning Kino. Gimme a minute to get off you…"

"Just…don't run over me," was the groggy reply.

Soon, everything was roughly in place and the brunette was one her feet, shaking sleep from her head.

"Hermes, you're back!" she smiled as if she saw him for the first time.

The motorcycle gave a happy blink with his headlight. "Ah well…"

"…good because you just made me pee in my pants for what you did!"

"Kino! Yaah!" the bike tried to avoid his partners wrath as best as a bike could.

"We're hitting the road as soon as possible," the brunette replied curtly. "We've missed two days too much of travel."

The afternoon caught the pair cruising down the better part of a snow-covered road. Kinp was quiet and thoughtful, wondering if the recent phenomena would repeat itself.

"Kino?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ignoring me again?"

"I have…selective information intake."

"Really?"

"Mhm…"

"Whatever you say."

--

The country they just left was extremely satisfying and interesting.

The land the pair trekked between countries was a beautiful autumn and the two travelers were entranced by scenery…

…until Hermes' engine gave a violent shudder, causing them to swerve off course.

Kino's eyes widened as a large, pain-inducing tree blocked their way.

"Uh…Hermes?!"

She hurriedly jumped off her seat and in a rush, grabbed the handlebars before bodily steering both of them from danger.

When the fuss and dust calmed down, Kino was on the leaf covered ground with Hermes having collapsed on her knees. The brunette was panting, encountering trouble coping with what just happened.

"Herms? Daijobu desu ka?"

The vehicle gave no response and the girl sighed. With some difficulty, she crawled out from under the bike and straightened herself and her friend.

She smiled when the engine didn't start.

…it meant HE was coming again.

**END**

A/N: weird fic, eh? Tell me what you think! …enjoy!xD and ciAo…


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